(Book Chapter) Turkey in Sheberghan: Special Solutions Due to Special Relations? (original) (raw)

Turkey’s Regional Approach in Afghanistan: A Civilian Power in Action

Partners for Stability, 2013

and Technology in Ankara. Dr. Kardaş also works as an advisor at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Diplomacy Academy. He has published scholarly articles and book chapters on Turkish domestic and foreign policies, human rights, energy policies and international security and has been an occasional contributor to Turkish and international media. He is assistant editor to the quarterly journal Perceptions and writes analyses for the German Marshal Fund's On Turkey series. He has taught classes at Diplomacy Academy and Turkish Military Academy. He received his doctoral degree in political science from the University of Utah. Dr. Kardaş also holds a master's degree in international relations from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, and a second master's degree in European Studies from the Center for European Integration Studies in Bonn, Germany.

Turkey's Presence and Importance in Afghanistan

USAK Yearbook of International Politics and Law, 2011

Turkey and Afghanistan have always enjoyed warm relations due to their strong cultural and historical connections. For instance, immediately after Afghanistan gained its independence on 19 August 1919 under the leadership of Amanullah Khan, it established diplomatic contactswith Turkey -- whileTurkey’s own Independence War was still ongoing. Afghanistan became the second state after the Soviet Union to recognize the Turkish Republic. As a result, the two countries signed the Turkey- Afghanistan Alliance Agreement on 1 March 1921 in Moscow, the first official agreement between the two states. After seven years, in May 1928, Amanullah Khan visited Turkey on the invitation of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and at that time a Treaty of Eternal Friendship was signed between Turkey and Afghanistan. Finally, Afghanistan was one of the parties to Saadabad (Nonaggression) Pact that was signed on 8 July 1937. The close relations that both countries createdat the time of their establishment have preserved their strength.

Future of Afghanistan and Turkey’s Contributions

There will be a change in NATO’s mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The organization’s role in the country will be limited to advisement and focus on training and counterterrorism.In the post-2001 period until now, despite some setbacks, a period of peace and a time to recover from constant warring and Taliban rule was provided to the Afghan people. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) under leadership of NATO and donor countries have contributed to the security and economy of the country. A transition period for Afghans to take the control of their country and assume responsibility has been put into place. This brings with it a series of arduous tests for Afghanistan, including achieving the first democratic transition of power, maintaining ethnic and social cohesion, resolving the Taliban problem, providing security and rule of law, and building a working economy.

The Historical Relationship between Afghanistan and Turkey vis-a-vis Modernization

In the first three decades of the twentieth century, Afghanistan emerged from isolation and inaugurated a formative period of modernization. In tandem with this development, the country became a unique space for the grand Muslim experiment of reform called tajaddud or renewal. As a multiplicity of transnational and ideological investors descended on Afghanistan to implement their particular brand of reformism, it was ultimately the historical experience of Ottoman Turkish modernism that shaped the course of Afghan development. Prior to this period, Afghanistan was largely cut off from the outside world and the only external influence permeating the country emanated from British India. The beginning of modernization in Afghanistan altered this pattern as Ottoman technocrats were invited by Afghan leaders to guide state sponsored reforms. By the same token, Afghanistan was viewed by Turkish reformers as an ideal and pristine laboratory in which their vision of modernism could be extended beyond the borders of the Sublime Porte. This paper focuses on the historical relationship between Afghanistan and Turkey vis-à-vis modernization. First, it traces the roots of how the model of Ottoman modernism became an archetype for Afghanistan beginning in the late nineteenth century. Second, it depicts the scope of Ottoman and post-Ottoman Turkish technical assistance in a number of key sectors in the early decades of the twentieth century. Third, it highlights the considerable and long lasting influence of Turkish military training in the genesis of the modern Afghan army. Finally, it asserts that in contrast to the prevailing historical trajectory of Afghanistan as a country often ensnared by predatory neighbors and meddlesome regional interventions, Turkish promotion of Afghan developmentalism during a constructive phase in the country's history presents a distinctive and positive diversion from a narrative dominated by foreign aggression.

F. Zeynep Özkurt FWU Journal of Social Sciences Uluslararası Makale

FWU Journal of Social Sciences, 2016

Afghanistan has been subject to occupation, invasion, civil war and conflict for almost thirty years. The events that have taken place in Afghanistan have not merely impacted on the region, they have engulfed it. Although thirteen years have passed since the start of the USA’s operation in Afghanistan, scholars still discuss its internal and external ramifications, and the prospective developments in the country after the withdrawal of the US forces. This paper seeks to evaluate the extent to which the USA’s operation and withdrawal plan have contributed to the current challenges and potential futures for Afghanistan. It takes into consideration the internal and external factors that impact on the stability of the political environment in the region; and proposes foresights of the possible scenarios for future state formation and political (re)orientation in Afghanistan. In conclusion, the paper suggests that that the withdrawal plan of the US forces in Afghanistan should be reconsidered as the continuance of instability in the country is likely to have a negative impact on NATO’s effectiveness. It also postulates that the regional powers should cooperate in the containment of problems in Afghanistan and reinforcement of the reconstruction of the country in order to build enduring peace in the region.